The First Christmas: Holiday Stories
by Peach Wookiee
Summary: A collection of one-shots requested by The Rainwalker. The first Christmases together for some YGO couples. Tale #5- Mokuba and Rebecca: Hot Chocolate.
1. Christmas with the Flu: Seto and Kisara

Christmas Eve with the Flu: Seto and Kisara

_Hello everyone and welcome to "The First Christmas," a series of tales of a few couples in the Yugi-verse. This series was suggested by The Rainwalker and I am pleased to honor her request. This particular tale is tied into the Yugi-verse I have established with 15animefreak15, and it's also lightly based on real life events. It sucks to be sick on Christmas, but if you have someone with you who loves and takes care of you when you're sick, it isn't so bad. _

_So to everyone out there, Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Boxing Day, and Happy Kwanzaa to all of you! Sorry this is a little late._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise. I just own my stories and any OCs I happen to establish._

_**Author's note:**__ This story happens a few months after "Whisper," my story in which Yugi attempted suicide. Seto and Kisara started dating and things heated up. Thank you. __**Author's further note, added June 9 2012: **_Winter Wonderland, _despite being published in 1934, is still under copyright._

It was a few days before the Christmas of 2006 in Domino, and Seto Kaiba was making a phone call. It had been six months since the blue-eyed, brown haired CEO of Kaiba Corporation had met and fallen in love with a young prodigy doctor named Kisara Hammond. Within a month of their first meeting, they were dating seriously and on Seto's 19th birthday in late October, he asked her to marry him. They shared an ancient past, and now it appeared that they would share the future together. So today, he was calling her house to make a special request.

"Hello, Hammond residence. This is Darren," a warm male tenor voice answered. Darren was Kisara's father, a tall balding man with brown hair and bright blue eyes and the build of a football player gone to seed. "Oh, hello, Seto," he said when the boy identified himself. "What can I do for you?"

"Darren, Kisara mentioned that you, Gigi and Eddie are going to be gone over Christmas and New Year's and Kisara has to stay here thanks to her schedule. I was wondering if it would be all right if I invited her over to the mansion to stay. We have plenty of room and I know Mokuba and I would be glad to have her over for Christmas," Seto explained, offering and feeling a touch nervous. He had no ulterior motive for having his fiancée over, but if he thought like a father, he would have to admit that he might not grant the permission. However, Darren surprised him.

"Of course, Seto, that'd be great. The truth is, we were feeling a little edgy about leaving Kisara alone…She's scheduled at the hospital through Christmas Eve and we hate for her to be alone. I know she's grown up, but still…you always worry more about a daughter than a son, I guess," Darren admitted.

"Darren, I promise you that…wait, you said yes?" Seto asked in shock, amazed that he didn't have to defend his request and convince Kisara's father to let her come to the mansion.

"Of course I did, Seto. Kiddo, we trust you, and you two are engaged. Until you, she never had a boyfriend, remember? I mean, she had crushes, but they were never reciprocated. And then you came and you've been nothing but a gentleman with her. She's never felt uncomfortable with you and she trusts you. And Gigi and I trust you with her. So you three kids have fun. When Kisara comes over, she'll bring presents from us. We wish you all could come with us up to Seattle…"

"Yeah, I know," Seto answered. "She misses not being able to go back with you, but she knows she has a duty to her patients. We'll have fun and we can call you on Christmas. I'll make sure she doesn't work too hard and that we have a little fun. The house is huge and she won't be alone. And again…"

"Seto, Gigi and I trust you completely. And besides, you and she are now adults and engaged. What you two do is between you and the Almighty. So relax, all right?" Darren said with a smile. "I'll have Kisara call you when she gets home if she wants to stay over with you…" About an hour or so later, Kisara was home and agreed to come over to the mansion. The white-blonde blue-eyed female showed up at the mansion that evening as her parents and brother flew to Seattle the next morning. Mokuba, Seto's little brother, was naturally thrilled that Kisara would be spending Christmas with them, and there was a certain light in his gray-blue eyes.

"Hey, babe," Seto said when she arrived, looking a bit haggard. "You okay?"

"Hi, big sister!" Mokuba whooped, borderline tackle-hugging the young woman. "You're actually staying here?"

"Yes, I am, sweetie," she answered, hugging him. "And yes, Seto, I'm okay…I'm just feeling really worn out. It's been a rough few days at the clinic. We have had a bunch of flu cases and people have been coming in, expecting miracle cures."

Seto moved close and pulled his fiancée into a hug, as well as his brother. "Well, you don't have to worry about that here, babe. Mokie and I are both healthy and you can relax. You can chill out here after work. The servants will make sure you don't lift a finger while you're here and on Christmas Day, all we have to worry about is having the gang over for a bit, but that's okay. You still won't have to do a thing."

"That sounds good," Kisara smiled, still happily in the three-way hug. "Why don't we have some…"

"Dinner?" Mokuba finished the question for her, smiling. "Seto had the cook make your favorite, barbequed roast beef marinated in red wine so the outside of the roast is crispy, twice-baked potatoes with lots of cheese, asparagus and fresh French bread. And for dessert, we're having chocolate cake! Does that sound good?"

"You two are going to fatten me up," the girl sighed, laughing. She was looking forward to the next two weeks…

YGO

On the morning before Christmas Eve, Kisara headed to Domino Children's Hospital to see a few patients. She wasn't feeling great and chalked it up to tiredness. And so when she came home to the mansion from work, she got a bath, got her pajamas on and enjoyed a quiet dinner with her fiancé and his brother.

"Babe, are you sure you're feeling all right?" Seto asked after she sang Mokuba to sleep with "O Holy Night," one of her favorite Christmas carols. The young man couldn't help but notice how pale his love was and worried about her. True, some of that worry was due to knowing how their ancient past love affair turned out, but his modern self knew that she was overworking herself. "You look really worn out, Kisara."

"I am tired, honey," she answered, feeling the tiniest bit queasy as well, "but I think I'll be okay. I got through today and should get through tomorrow, and then I can rest tomorrow night and Christmas Day."

"Dr. Carter was amazed that you handled your internship hours like you did," Seto said, referring to his personal doctor that he'd hired a few years previously and that had been the doctor on the blimp during Battle City. "He said since you were so young, he was surprised you tolerated the lack of sleep."

"I just managed. That's probably partly why I had that breakdown," she sighed as they headed to their rooms. "Anyway, I think I'll be all right. I just need to sleep for a bit."

"Okay. Call me if you need anything, babe," Seto answered, pulling her into a loving hug and kissing her forehead. "Love you…"

"Love you too," she answered softly, and then they released. Seto went to his bedroom and got his blue silk pajamas on, then got into bed. Meanwhile, in one of the many guestrooms, one that was decorated in various shades of purple, Kisara snuggled down in her bed. She ached all over and was beginning to feel lousy, but she figured a good night's sleep would do her good.

In the morning, Seto and Mokuba Kaiba awoke at 6:02 AM to the sound of a droning alarm. The two young men came out of their rooms, exchanged worried glances and followed the sound of the alarm clock to Kisara's guestroom. "Babe?" Seto called as they came into the room.

"Big sister?" Mokuba called softly. "Are you okay?" And then they heard a soft moan.

"Kisara?" Seto asked, moving closer to the bed, "Babe, are you not feeling well?"

The white-blonde girl lifted her head slightly, looking pale, sweaty and definitely sick. "I…have to…get to work…Ooh…"

Seto sat gingerly on the bed and laid his hand on Kisara's forehead. She felt hot, very hot. "Mokie, go get the thermometer, okay? Kisara's got a fever. And bring the phone, since I have to call her clinic. Babe, you are not going in this way. You're sick. You're not going into work today."

"But," she began protesting, and he cut her off.

"No. It's cold out there, and you'll do your patients no good if you're like this. So stay here with us. I'm not going into the office, there's no school for Mokuba and we can take care of you, okay, babe? It's Christmas Eve and you need to feel better." Kisara might've argued, but then remembered that she had reminded her fiancé about not working too hard and not working when he was sick. In fact, she mused, she had used a similar argument with him when he'd been sick with the stomach flu in early November. "You're thinking about November, aren't you?" he asked gently. She managed a nod as Mokuba returned with the thermometer and the phone. Seto took her temperature, called Kisara's office and then called his own office to let them know he was staying home and couldn't be called to the office except in an extreme emergency. "You've got a fever of 102. Kisara…I think you've got the flu."

"Big sister, you need to stay in bed," Mokuba agreed with his brother. "And I'll help make sure you do!" he added with a very determined look on his face. "Should we get her some breakfast, big bro?" he asked.

"Sounds like a good idea," Seto answered. "Kisara, I'll get you some juice and some oatmeal. That might make you feel better."

"Okay," she sighed, lying back in the cool pillows. She closed her eyes and must have drifted off, because the next thing she knew, Seto was shaking her shoulder gently. "Huh?"

"Babe, let's get something in your stomach, okay?" he asked, gently easing her into a sitting position.

"Okay," she answered. "Where's Mokuba?" she asked, realizing he was no longer on the bed or in the room.

"He's in the media room, playing video games. I thought it'd be better that way," Seto answered gently. "Let's get you fed." He made her comfortable and then spooned up some oatmeal. She ate most of it and drank some grape juice, and then she had to go to the bathroom. Seto helped her out of the bed, and then…disaster struck.

"Seto," Kisara groaned, feeling her stomach go into reverse.

"Babe, are you..?" he asked, getting ready to rush her to the bathroom, but unfortunately, the time for that sort of gallantry had passed. Kisara threw up all over him. "Oh, man…babe…let's get you cleaned up," he soothed, feeling the warmth of his fiancée's vomit on his pajamas.

"Honey, I'm sorry," she moaned softly as he half-carried her to the bathroom. "I couldn't…"

"Just relax. I'll get the tub filled up and we can clean you off, okay?" he soothed further. They went into the bathroom and he sat her in a soft chair in the huge room. He turned on the hot bath water and then went to work getting her vomit-covered clothes off. "I'm sorry you're feeling so punk," he murmured, removing her purple flannel pants and then getting her purple cotton top off. His own discomfort with her barf all over him didn't matter at the moment; he just needed to get her in the tub. He completely disrobed her and then helped her into the tub. "That feel all right?"

"Yeah," she answered gently. "Oh, honey, you're a mess…"

"I'll get my stuff off. The laundry will get done today," he answered, smiling and stripping down to his boxers. He then sat down on the edge of the huge sunken tub, watching her. He liked what he saw, and if she'd been feeling better, he might've kissed her and seen where it led. But to make such a move today wouldn't be right. She was too sick. "Want me to wash your hair?" he asked.

"Okay," she murmured. He nodded and reached for the shampoo bottle on the side of the huge tub…and lost his balance. With a huge splash, he fell into the tub. "OH! Seto!" Kisara exclaimed. "Honey? Are you all right?" she asked when he came up, coughing.

"Y-yeah," he answered when he was able to speak. "Sorry, babe. I…"

"Hey, it happens. Well, I guess we can clean off together," she sighed. "No point in you not doing that now that you're in here." She knew that if Seto was an ordinary guy, she might have reason to be apprehensive that she was in a state of undress and he was about to be clad in nothing but his birthday suit and in the tub with her! I'm getting an unusual Christmas gift, she reflected through the haze of her fever.

Seto, for his part, was a little nervous about this, but he didn't like being in wet boxer shorts, and he wanted to help Kisara too. This was the first time that they'd been unclothed together and insanely, he wasn't paying attention to it. Once the boxers were off, he slid into the tub next to his sick fiancée. "Okay, babe, let's get you cleaned off." He took the shampoo bottle again and placed some of the liquid in his hands and then gently rubbed it into her long, silky hair. The stuff smelled like vanilla and mint and made her smell wonderful. After that, Seto took a lather puff and loaded it with lavender-scented body wash, foaming it up in his hand. "Should I scrub you off?" he asked softly. She nodded weakly and he gently cleaned her off. "Does that feel better?" he probed when she was clean.

"Yeah," she murmured tiredly. That was so nice, she thought, thinking of his touch. "Thanks, honey…can we just sit here for a minute?"

"Yeah," he answered, putting an arm around her as they shifted position in the tub. He was sitting next to her now and keeping her upright. He noticed the light stretch marks on her body from growth in pre-adolescence and in her early teen years, and the slimness of her body, right down to her willowy, muscular long legs. "I'm sorry you're feeling so bad on Christmas Eve, babe," he murmured as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"It could be worse," she murmured back. "I could've been home alone and sick without a wonderful husband-to-be to take care of me."

"Yeah…that would've been a lot worse," he agreed softly. "It'll still be a good Christmas…Oh, darn…We'll have to call off the gang. They shouldn't…"

"No, it's all right. This should be a twenty-four hour bug. I'll feel a little woozy tomorrow, but with your help, I'll be okay to hang with the group…" They might've continued talking, but then the bathroom door opened.

"Seto, how's Kisara feel—AUGH!" Mokuba yelped, seeing the couple together in the tub. "You guys? You were?" He was visibly stunned and horrified and as was normal, he jumped to conclusions about what his brother and future sister-in-law were doing in the bathtub, and proceeded to leave the room and head to his own, looking more than a bit horrified.

"Oh, crud. He saw us and I know what he thought," Seto groaned as he now quickly helped Kisara out of the tub. He got a bathrobe on her and then on himself, took her back to her bed and put her in fresh pajamas (the staff had cleaned up while the couple was in the tub). "Maybe I should've locked the door," he sighed as he made her comfortable and warm.

"Then he would've thought we did something," she sighed. "Seto, get your clothes on and then why don't you bring him in here? We can both talk to him and help him understand…"

"Good idea," he answered. Seto went and got dressed in a sweater and jeans in his own room, and then headed to Mokuba's bedroom. The small boy was sitting on his bed, playing a handheld video game. "Mokie, mind if I come in a minute?"

The boy looked up from his game, pausing it. "Go ahead. I'm sorry I walked in on you guys. I mean, it was your first time," he said, managing to sound both embarrassed and frustrated at the same time, the frustration directed at himself for walking in on them.

"Mokie, we didn't do anything," Seto explained.

"Sure you didn't," Mokuba responded, clearly not convinced.

"We didn't…for one thing, we want to wait, and another thing, she's too sick. I wouldn't be close with her like that when she's feeling like this," the older boy explained. "And she wanted me to bring you into the room to explain that, all right?"

Mokuba's eyes were wide now. "You really didn't?"

"No, Mokuba, we didn't," Seto answered, face really softening. "It wouldn't have been right for us and if we were planning to do that, we would've locked the door so you couldn't get in."

The smaller boy snickered at his big brother. "Good point. I guess you guys aren't ready to give that gift to each other yet." Seto had patiently explained to Mokuba that the first time was a gift to be given to one very special person and when you were really ready to give it. So Mokuba referred to it as such.

"No, not for a while." And so they headed down to Kisara's room, where the young physician was relieved to know that Mokuba wasn't upset anymore. He gently climbed up on the bed and gave her a big hug and reassured her that everything was okay.

"Are you sleepy, Kisara?" Mokuba asked, noticing her expression.

"A little bit, sweetie," she admitted.

"Could I sing you a Christmas carol, so you fall asleep?" he asked. "You sing for me when I'm not feeling good."

Kisara smiled weakly. "Okay, honey. Sing what you'd like to sing, all right?" And so Mokuba sang _Silent Night_, and within a few minutes, the white-blonde girl was sound asleep.

"Thanks, kiddo," Seto whispered to his brother. "I think that's just what Kisara needs. She'll sleep for a bit and then we'll see if we can get her to eat without throwing up again."

"Oh! She said something about a surprise for us, big brother! And she said she'd bring it out tonight. Do you think she'll be able to do it tonight?" Mokuba whispered back softly.

"I hope so," Seto sighed. "Let's just let her sleep, okay?" And so they let her rest. By the early afternoon, they were able to wake her and give her some chicken soup. Kisara kept the soup down and by dinner time, she was sitting up and feeling better. She still had a temperature, but didn't feel like her stomach was about to explode.

After dinner, Kisara went to the closet in her bedroom and pulled out a cardboard box. "Grandma Hammond sent me this a few weeks ago and when you two invited me, I thought I'd bring it with. Seto, would you mind if I put up a Nativity scene?" she asked, opening the box to reveal several tiny ceramic statues, including one of a baby lying in what looked like a bed covered with straw.

"These are beautiful," Seto said. "She sent this?"

"Yeah. She made these," the girl answered.

"Seto, what's a Nativity scene?" Mokuba asked.

Seto and Kisara exchanged glances, Seto realizing he'd never really told Mokuba the Christmas story. "Mokuba, a Nativity scene shows us the story of Christmas and why it happened. It has nothing to do with Santa Claus and everything to do with that baby in the manger," Seto said, holding the baby statue.

"Oh, yeah. Baby Jesus. Seto, I know the story," Mokuba answered. "Joey told me last year when I hung out with the guys. He took me over to St. James and showed me the big scene at the stable. He didn't say Nativity scene, though."

"Good, then you know the story?" Kisara asked gently.

Mokuba then proceeded to tell everything he'd read and been told about the Christmas story, including mentioning that "I've seen the Charlie Brown Christmas special, big brother."

"Wow…Well, Mokuba, I'm glad you know," Seto said finally. "I guess I didn't know how to tell you…"

"It's okay, Seto," the small boy answered, smiling and examining the statues of the three Magi.

YGO

That night, the couple and the little boy followed the tradition of Kisara's family. On Christmas Eve, back in Seattle, Kisara's family would gather at her Grandpa Hanson's house and open presents. So tonight at the Kaiba mansion, the young couple and small boy sat in the spacious living room on the couch in front of a roaring fire. They had opened their Christmas gifts to each other and now Seto sat between the two people he loved the most. Mokuba was fast asleep now on Seto's left and Kisara was cuddled against the teen CEO's right. All three were covered with a warm royal blue blanket and the couple was sipping a hot Scandinavian drink called glögg.

"You're cooler, babe," Seto smiled softly as he sipped the hot juice mixture. "Think you'll be up to the party tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Since I kept stuff down, I'll be okay for Christmas Day," she answered, smiling back as he kissed her still-warm forehead. "Honey, thank you for taking care of me," she murmured.

"My pleasure, babe…and this time next year, I'll be taking care of you as your husband," he murmured back. And so the couple, with the small boy next to them, sipped their hot drinks and dreamed of happiness to come. And as they did, they thought of the lyrics of _Winter Wonderland._

_And so, that's the first Christmas for Seto and Kisara. I'm inclined to have the next tale be a Polarshipping tale, which is Joey and Mai. So, shall I do another tale, everyone? Please read and review! Thank you!_


	2. All I Want for Christmas is You

All I Want for Christmas is You: Joey and Mai

_Hello again, dear readers! I know this is almost a month after Christmas, but I didn't want to rush this collection. Sometimes, it's after Christmas that the inspiration for a good Christmas story hits. So I hope all of you don't mind the delay. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews for the first installment of this series. I'm glad you enjoyed them and if you didn't, that's okay, too. We all have different ideas for fics and that's why we're here. _

_So onto our Polarshipping tale! For those of you who don't know, Polarshipping is the pairing of Joey Wheeler and Mai Valentine. _

_**Disclaimer: If I owned the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise, I wouldn't be writing here. Well…maybe I would, just to mess with everyone's minds…**_

_**Warning: Lots of married love in this story, as it's meant to be. **_

_Author's note: This story happens six months after Yugi attempted suicide in _Whisper. _Due to my tendency to like uniformity between my own Yugi-verses, those of you who read my work will notice that elements of "The Jedi League of Duelists" make their way in here. So Mai Valentine is Yugi's half-sister. She deserves to have a decent family that will love her no matter what. Thank you._

It had been an eventful past six months, Joey Wheeler reflected as he woke up on Christmas Eve, 2006. Six months ago, he had graduated from high school, convinced he wouldn't find the right young woman to spend his life with until after college and that he'd have a hard time finding a decent job. But to his surprise, six months ago, the great love of his life had returned to him, and about five months ago, Seto Kaiba had offered him a job at the head of Kaiba Corp's new airline division. Joey had gladly accepted and the airline was doing well. And about four months ago, Joey had married the great love of his life, Mai Deirdre Valentine, in a private small ceremony at the church he'd grown up in. Only their friends and family had come to the ceremony. Joey's sister, Serenity, had been Mai's maid of honor, and Yugi Muto had been Joey's best man.

But in the here and now, Joey stretched and looked over at the beautiful young woman beside him. Mai Wheeler was still sleeping soundly, her blonde hair spread over the violet Egyptian cotton pillow and her nude alabaster shoulders visible over the thick warm royal purple duvet and green, blue and purple quilt. Her eyes were closed, giving her young husband a good look at her long eyelashes. She was so beautiful, and especially after yesterday's shopping marathon and after last night's marathon of a different sort, she was exhausted. So Joey moved as quietly as he could out of their bed and pulled his boxers and pajamas on, padding across the plush cream carpet to the bathroom. And then he tiptoed to the kitchen.

'Let's see now,' he thought, opening up the cupboards and whistling "Joy to the World." 'She likes toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit…Hmm, so do I,' he reflected with a grin as he also got out a breakfast tray, setting Mai's favorite plate on it.

Meanwhile, in the big bedroom, Mai awoke. 'Hmm…where's Joey?' she wondered as she sat up, keeping the blankets around herself. It was comfortably warm in the apartment, but still, the air was cool against her bare skin. And then she smelled the unmistakable odor of coffee, her favorite Arabica blend, brewing in their coffee maker. 'He's making breakfast…why didn't he..?' So she gently got out of bed and put her panties and a cute Christmas red nightgown with the word "Love" emblazoned across the chest on. And then she added a pair of cute red slippers on her feet and headed to the kitchen.

"OW!" Joey yelped, burning his fingers as he pulled the toast from the toaster. "DANG IT! I can't even get it right on Christmas!"

"Get what right, hon?" Mai asked, coming into the kitchen. "Oh, you hurt yourself!" She charged in, taking his lightly burned fingers and kissing them. "What were you doing?"

Joey flushed, much as he had that day about 5 months earlier when he'd asked her to marry him. "I…was going to bring you breakfast in bed, babe. It's Christmas Eve, after all, and…I wanted to give you something good for Christmas. We'll spend tomorrow with the gang, and Grandpa and Ma and Ren, too, so today's about us and…I wanted our first Christmas to be special."

Mai smiled at the effort he'd clearly taken to make the breakfast. The toast was a perfect golden brown, the scrambled eggs were fluffy and had cheese in them, there was a lot of fresh fruit, and the bacon was crispy without being overdone. "Joey, honey, just relax. Today's a day to relax. You're not at Kaiba Corp, figuring out how to improve air travel with Seto looking over your shoulder. I'll get back in bed and you can bring me breakfast and we'll both enjoy it without you having to rush off to work."

Joey grinned sheepishly. "Okay, babe. Your wish is my command today. That's my first gift to you…"

"Your first gift?" she asked, puzzled.

"Go on…Get back to bed," he said, still grinning sheepishly. She did so and he finished fixing her breakfast tray, adding a Christmas rose in a slim vase to make it pretty. He carried the tray into his bride and together they ate their breakfast.

"Joey, hon, you are going to make me get fat," Mai smiled as she finished off her cup of coffee. "You cook too well…" She set her tray over on the nightstand and kissed her husband of four months. "I need to burn off some calories. Let's do something to burn them off, okay, Joseph?" she asked with a smile.

"Want to go jogging?" he asked. "I'll do what you want…We can jog in the park, go down to the gym, go to the pool…" Their apartment had a heated indoor pool… "We can do whatever you want…"

"Whatever I want, huh?" Mai asked, grinning. "Well, Joey…We can do some exercise right here…"

Even though they'd been married four months, the blonde male duelist still liked playing dumb when it came to romance, especially at times like this. "What? Sit ups? Push-ups?"

Mai smirked. "Mmm…those sound nice, but I'm not in that sort of mood…I feel like exercising like we did last night…"

"Last..? Oh," he grinned sheepishly. "How'd we start again?"

Mai smiled. "Hmmm…I think you started with a massage when I was tired from shopping…And you got the vanilla body butter…Now, if you would?" she asked.

"Okay…" Joey did as she commanded, returning with the small tub of body butter. "Now…how did it go again? Oh, yeah…I don't want to wreck your nightie…" And so he deftly removed her nightgown, leaving her in only her purple high cut panties. Again, the young man marveled at her beautiful slim form. She looked like one of the beautiful nude female statues carved in marble that he'd seen in the Renaissance exhibit in the Domino Museum, muscular and yet wonderfully feminine. "Now, lie down, ma'am and just relax…You work too hard."

Mai stretched out across the sheets, on her flat belly, shivering with anticipation. Joey treated her like a queen, not because she demanded it, but because he genuinely loved her. Every day since she'd returned to Domino and his arms, he had given her gifts, both tangible and intangible. Only a month after she'd returned to him, he'd given her a platinum engagement ring with amethysts in the center, cut in the shape of wings. Some people would think that they were angel's wings, but Mai knew that her husband meant them to be the wings of Harpy's Lady. About a month after that, they had given each other a mutual gift on their wedding night. Joey had been nervous, as Mai had been as it was their first time, but to her genuine surprise and joy, he had been sweet and very gentle with her.

And now, here he was, again being gentle with her. "Maybe I do work too hard…but then again…so do you," she countered softly.

"Well, I like workin' hard," he grinned, though she couldn't see it. And then she felt the cold of the butter on her skin and then the warmth of his rough, yet still somewhat soft hands on her back and shoulders. "You really do get tense, Mai. You carry it all up in your shoulders." He rubbed her firmly yet gently across those tense shoulders and she felt herself begin to relax as he massaged her. "And right down your back…I'll bet you hold yourself too straight." He moved up and down and stopped at her lower back, massaging gently, refreshing the butter as he needed to. Finally, his fingertips moved to the waistband of her panties. "Mai, shall I keep going and give you my second gift?" he asked softly.

"Oh, yeah," she murmured, feeling warm from what he'd already done. "Go ahead." And so he started kissing her shoulders, and caressing her soft body. She felt his slim yet well-muscled body against hers as they began anew what they had done last night…

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Later that day, as the sun was going down, the Wheeler couple sat on the couch, in front of a roaring fire in the fireplace in their living room. They were enjoying cups of hot chocolate and the brightly decorated Christmas tree, as well as each other's company. After their loving marathon, Mai and Joey had bathed together, and then gotten jeans and sweaters on and were now cuddling under a blanket.

Joey looked at Mai, her creamy features illuminated by the flames and Christmas lights. "Babe, I got somethin' for you…and I want you to wear it tomorrow at the party at Seto's. I mean, you don't need it to look gorgeous, but it's somethin' I think you'll like, and it's my third gift," he said shyly.

"Joey," Mai said, giving him a very loving expression, "whatever you got me, it's perfect. And I got something for you, too…"

And so the two got up and went to the Christmas tree, taking two small packages from the small pile of presents under the tree. "Here, babe," Joey said, holding out the small square package wrapped in red foil and tied with a small silver bow. Mai took it and handed her husband a blue foil-wrapped package also tied with a silver bow.

"It just came two days ago. I was worried it wouldn't make it in time," she said nervously, blushing lightly. "But this company actually had it and I figured you'd like it. I know you're better at getting places on time, but you need something better than what you've been wearing."

He eagerly opened the package and then the blue velvet box to reveal a brand new wristwatch. It had a gold-tone face with Roman numerals, and a brown leather wristband, and it was obvious Mai had spent a mint on this present. "Babe, it's gorgeous. Why?" he asked, stunned and happy.

"Your old one was falling apart," she said. "I thought you could use it. How long have you had the old one?"

Joey flushed. "Since the Christmas before Ren left. She saved up and Mom helped her a little." Serenity had turned seven and Joey was nearing his ninth birthday that Christmas about ten years previously. It was a digital watch with a picture of the Baby Dragon on it. Serenity had picked it because she'd thought it was cute and she knew that Joey liked dragons. He wore it proudly, even when other kids teased him, and later when his classmates who didn't know him well teased him in middle and high school. Now, the wristband was badly frayed and falling apart and the watch face was beat up from all the use plus a couple of trips into the Pacific Ocean, a few shadow duels and a lightning strike. Despite its ragged state, Joey didn't think of buying a new watch for himself.

Now as he looked at the loving gift his wife had bought him, he said, "I didn't think of replacin' it all these years 'cause she got it for me, and all that time, it reminded me she was with me. Even when we were apart, she was still there." He gently took off the old watch and looked at it while his wife put on the new watch. "Thanks, babe…this new one represents somethin' too…"

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

"The start of the best Christmas I can remember…Now open yours!" he grinned like a little kid.

Mai ripped her package open to reveal a red velvet box with a gold catch on the front. It looked old, and she opened it with great care. Inside was a pendant on a silver chain that was shaped like a wing. "It's an angel's wing," she said in surprise.

"Well, it's supposed to be a Harpy's Lady's wing, Mai, but it was in an antique shop. I thought it looked like the wings on the ring." It did, carved from a single amethyst and lined in silver. It was beautiful and Mai knew Joey had searched hard for it.

"Mind putting it on me, honey?" she asked, pulling her hair up out of the way, presenting her long white neck to him. He gently took the necklace, placed it on her and then placed his lips on her neck. "Oh, and what's this? An added bonus?" she asked, shivering at his touch.

"You might say that," he grinned softly. He was angling for another marathon session if she was up to it, but then the phone rang. _Nuts,_ he thought, moving away. "I'll get it, babe." He picked up the phone which was on a stand next to the couch and looked at the caller ID. "Huh…It's Seto…Hello?"

"Hey, Joey," Seto greeted. "Merry Christmas…"

"To you too. What's up?" the blonde, brown-eyed duelist asked his boss and friend.

"Kisara's got a 24-hour bug, I think. She woke up, threw up on me and she's just feeling rotten. I don't think we'll cancel the party, but she's just feeling like she…"

"Got blasted by the Winged Dragon of Ra?" Joey suggested with a slight grin.

Seto actually laughed. "Not that bad…Flattened by Exodia, maybe. But she still feels lousy. So I was just giving everyone a heads-up. Just pray she doesn't keep visiting the porcelain fountain, okay?"

"You got it! See you tomorrow afternoon," Joey said and after a quick goodbye, hung up. "Kisara isn't feelin' good. Seto was just callin' to let us know. She worked herself too hard…and get this…She puked all over him…"

Mai sighed. "Bet Seto has his hands full. Goodness, what a mess…But they're still planning on having the party?"

"Yeah…Kisara thinks it's a 24-hour-bug. I hope it's just that… I mean, it's Christmas and it sucks to have the flu then…"

"Yeah, it does," Mai said. They sat for a moment together, cuddled close, enjoying the crackling fire. "Joey?"

"Hmmm?" he asked softly.

"Do you know what the only thing I really wanted for Christmas was? Though this necklace is really nice…"

"What's that?" he asked curiously.

"All I want for Christmas is you…"

Joey smiled. "Right back at you, babe…"

_And so ends our second Christmas tale. I know it's almost a month past Christmas, but I hope you still enjoy this story. Next…I may be in the mood to do a tale about Tristan and Serenity. So until next time, please read, review and stay tuned. Thank you!_


	3. Tristan and Serenity: White Christmas

White Christmas: Tristan and Serenity

_Hello again, fans of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! My goodness, it's been almost a year since I posted to this story series, but finally inspiration struck. I especially hope that Rainwalker doesn't mind the delay in posting. So far, the couples that have been focused on are Seto and Kisara and then Joey and Mai. Now, Peach Wookiee Productions is proud to present a tale focusing on Tristan Taylor (Hiroto Honda) and Serenity Wheeler (Shizuka Kawaii) in December of 2006. In this tale, this couple is nowhere near getting married. They're at the sweet beginning of their courtship._

_As usual, I don't own the Yugi-verse. I just play in it and mess with the timeline!_

Serenity Jayne Wheeler looked in the window of one of Domino City's more popular clothing stores on a very cold day in December. It was a week before Christmas and she hadn't yet decided what to get her new boyfriend. And so here she was, brushing her long red hair out of her eyes as the wind whipped it back at her. 'This is California,' she thought with a glance up at a nearby shop's electronic temperature gauge. It was unusually cold this year, but still a little bit warmer than where she had previously lived with her mom. She and her mother had returned to the city in June when Serenity's father died, leaving her brother Joey to fend for himself. At the same time, she'd formally broken up with her now-ex-boyfriend, Duke Devlin. Tristan had then declared his intentions to date her. They had chosen to pick up where they left off, as friends, but that had changed over the past few months.

The object in the window was a genuine fighter pilot's leather jacket, and it cost a decent amount of money for a present for a relatively new boyfriend. But then again, he had saved her life not quite a year ago… 'He deserves at least this,' she thought with a smile. 'I have the money… But… oh great, I don't know his jacket size!' her mind screamed at her as she stepped lightly into the warm store…

Meanwhile, not too far down the street, Tristan Taylor was searching shops for the right thing for his girlfriend, Serenity. 'Darn… what do I get her? A stuffed animal? No, that's lame! And that's what I got when I dated Miho!' he thought in frustration. He ran a hand through his brown hair, oddly not messing up the point it ended in. And then, as he walked, he saw her in his favorite shop that sold aviators' clothing. 'Ren?' he thought, stepping into the shop. She was standing at the counter, talking to the clerk about the jacket sizes.

"The thing is, I don't know his size and it's for Christmas," she was saying to the clerk, a dark-haired man with a barrel-chest.

"Well, Miss, maybe we could find someone here in the store about your young man's size." The clerk looked around and saw the young gentleman that had just entered the shop. "Young man, could you come over here a minute? This young lady could use your assistance." Inwardly, Tristan groaned but walked up to the clerk and his girlfriend.

Predictably, Serenity's face lit up at the sight of her boyfriend, and then turned pale. "Uh… hi, Tristan," she greeted. _Oh no! He's going to find out!_ her thoughts screamed at her.

"Hey, Serenity… what are you doing in here? We usually only come in here when we're walking together… And what's this?" he asked, looking at the lovely aviator's jacket.

The redheaded girl sighed and knew she must tell the truth. "Tristan… I wanted to get this for you for Christmas. But I didn't know your size…"

The young man smiled and asked the clerk, "May I try that jacket on, sir?" The clerk nodded and came around from the other side of the counter with the lovely brown leather jacket. Tristan put it on, and it fit him perfectly.

MERRY MERRY MERRY MERRY

"I'm sorry I blew your surprise, Ren," Tristan apologized as they exited the shop a few minutes later. "Since I got my present early, why don't we go get yours? I was having trouble picking yours, anyway… We've only been dating a few months and I couldn't decide…"

The 17-year-old young woman smiled, enjoying the sight of the brand new leather jacket on her boyfriend. "Tristan… I don't care what you give me. Any gift is fine as long as it's from you."

"Well, even so, you bought me a beautiful new jacket and I want to get you something. So let's pick a shop… And remember that we're going to Seto's for Christmas Day and maybe you need something for that."

Serenity smiled shyly. "Tristan, are you sure you want to? I'd be happy with anything…"

Tristan nodded. "Serenity, I know you'd be happy with anything," he smiled. "But I want you to know that it's okay for you to want and get something. So let's look…"

The couple walked hand in hand down to a dress shop that Serenity loved. It was a shop that had a beautiful red dress in the window at this time of year. The dress was sleeveless with a plunging v-neck and a sash at the waist, and a skirt that went to mid-calf. "That dress is so pretty. I like looking at it," she admitted shyly.

"Let's go in and see if there's one in your size," Tristan offered with a smile. This shop, he knew, was a boutique that catered to a wide clientele, from Domino's lower-class to the wealthy elite. He just hoped that this dress was in his price range…

Serenity tried on the dress and looked gorgeous in it. Unfortunately for Tristan, the dress was out of his price range. "Is there any way," he asked the saleswoman, "that I can get this bought for her before Christmas if I work out a payment plan?"

The saleswoman nodded. "Okay, we can work out something. Can you pay half now and half by Christmas Eve?"

The young man nodded back. "I'll find something I can do. I'll be back before Christmas Eve to pick it up."

Serenity was all smiles as she returned to her boyfriend from the changing room where she'd gone to get back into her street clothes, carrying the beautiful red dress. "I always wanted to try this on… Thank you," she smiled at the saleswoman.

"You're very welcome, Miss Wheeler. It looks lovely on you," the woman, a pretty African-American woman with hair in a chin-length bob smiled. "I hope you have somewhere to wear it…"

Serenity nodded shyly. "Y-yeah, a party… Tristan, did you..?!"

The young man blushed. "Almost… but you're going to have it by Christmas Eve, I promise, Ren!"

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

That evening, Tristan Taylor looked online and in the Help Wanted sections of the Domino Times to find some sort of temporary work that would earn him 100 dollars in a few days. However, nothing was available for him. _What do I do? I promised her!_ he thought in anguish. _Please, God, I need something, _he prayed.

And then, his cell phone rang. "Hi, Tristan, it's Kisara," the blue-white blonde doctor's cheery voice came through the phone. "Listen, I was wondering if you'd be willing to do a few little odd jobs for me… I can pay you…"

Tristan blinked, stunned. _Uh… thanks, God,_ he thought/prayed. Verbally he said, "Uh, sure, Kisara. What do you need me to do?"

"Well, as you know, my schedule's been a little crazy at the clinic and I'm running out of time to get my Christmas presents wrapped. I also could use someone who can help me take packages to the post office and bake cookies if that's all right. Seto and Mokuba are swamped and I know they won't mind if you come and help. I'm staying at the mansion since Mom, Dad and Eddie are out of town."

Tristan grinned. "I'm available anytime, Kisara!"

"Okay! How about tomorrow? Is 10 AM too early for you?" the young woman asked, glad that her problems had been solved so easily.

"That's perfect! Are you off tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I have enough time to get my baking done and get this wrapping done. I'll be busy after tomorrow at the hospital, so you coming over will be great! Thank you so much, Tristan!" Kisara gushed.

"No problem, Kisara. I'll be over at ten!" They said good-bye and Tristan could not believe his luck that he'd found a job. _She said she'd pay me, but how much? Well, I won't worry about it. I can find something else or ask my sister for a few hours of babysitting._

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

At 10 o'clock the next morning, Tristan rode his motorcycle onto the grounds of the Kaiba mansion. It was one of the largest homes in Domino City, and since Seto had rebuilt the place with one of the world's most gifted classical architects, it was also one of the most beautiful. One of the man servants took his bike to park it in the garage and the young man headed into the foyer.

"Hi, Tristan," Kisara greeted with a smile on her face as she entered the room. She was clad in a simple pair of blue sweats and bright blue ballet-style slippers. Tristan couldn't help but notice that she looked a little bit harried. "Thanks for coming this morning. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you helping me. I'm going to be working through Christmas Eve, but today I had a day off."

"Glad to help, Kisara. So what should we start with?"

"Well, I have to make some sugar cookies, and it's a big job, so let's start on that!" she smiled, leading him to the kitchen.

Tristan's eyes widened when he saw the ingredients she'd assembled. Among other things, there were 7 eggs and a 3 pound can of shortening. "Uh… Kisara? How many cookies are we making?"

"About 200," she grinned eagerly, fixing up an industrial sized mixer. "This recipe's from my great-aunt in Minnesota. Her side of the family owns a lodge there and they make lots of cookies this time of year for their guests. So think you're up to making this?"

The young man grinned eagerly. "You bet. Uh… do I need an apron?"

"Probably a good idea," she answered, finding one about his size. She helped him to put it on and put a blue print pinafore-style apron with lace trim for herself. "Let's start with the dry ingredients. Open the bag of flour, will you?"

"Okay!" Tristan eagerly opened the bag and then followed her next instructions. He dumped the flour in a bowl with baking soda and salt and whisked them together in a form of sifting. Meanwhile, Kisara blended two kinds of sugar, the whole can of butter-flavored shortening, the eggs and a lot of vanilla flavoring into the huge mixer.

"All right, Tristan," she said happily, "now dump the flour mixture into the big bowl." Eagerly he did so, but perhaps a little too eagerly. The flour mix puffed up, coating the young man and young woman with the mix.

All he could say was, "Oops! Sorry!"

But Kisara came up laughing. "Oh, Tristan! It's okay! That was funny! I did the same thing making this. Don't worry about it!" After they mixed the cookie dough, they formed balls of it and coated the balls in cinnamon and sugar, pressed them down with the bottom of pretty glasses and put them into the oven.

Tristan looked at the many trays of cookies still waiting to go into the oven. "Whoa… Kisara, I have never made this big of a batch of cookies. How long will it take?"

"About two hours. It takes about 11 minutes to bake the cookies on these sheets and we have… whoa, ten trays. That's 240 cookies! Now while we're waiting for this first to bake, why don't I show you the gift wrap department?"

Tristan nodded again. He followed the white-blonde woman down to the media room where gift wrap, tape, tags and ribbon lay on a low table. Over on a wall was a selection of gifts each with Post-It notes on them. "So, all I have to do is wrap and tag?" he asked, sitting down as she brought the first present, a video game for Mokuba.

"That's it, Tristan. Just use your best judgment about paper," she answered with another sweet smile. "I'll go and check on the cookies…"

CHRISTMASCHRISTMAS

Tristan got the packages wrapped and when he headed into the kitchen to tell Kisara he was done, he smelled the buttery, but not too sugary smell of the cookies. "Whoa…"

She was placing the last of the cookies onto a plate, one of several plates on the counter. "Yeah," she smiled, looking up, "there are lots. Want one?" She handed him a cookie, which he gratefully gobbled down.

"That was so good!" he grinned. "Your relatives have good taste!"

"Yeah! And there are always so many cookies. Take some home with you when you're ready to go," she said. "Now, let's see those presents!"

Together they headed down to the media room and Kisara's eyes lit up at the sight of all the presents piled to one side. They were well wrapped as if she had taken them to the mall and had them done. "I hope these are okay," Tristan said, a little bit nervously.

"Tristan..." She hugged him hard. "You are a lifesaver! These are awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Now, it's just a little after 1. Would you like some lunch?" He nodded and they headed back to the kitchen.

Kisara made them both roast beef sandwiches with potato chips and got out two sodas for them. "Kisara, wow, you didn't have to do this!" Tristan said as she brought him his plate.

"Oh, don't worry! I love to make stuff. I have to remind Seto when I come over here that, hello, I was raised middle class. I didn't have maids or chefs, though they are wonderful to have around, but I do like doing things for myself once and again. So let me do this for you after you've done so much…" She sat down and for a time they chatted about nothing in particular. And then… "Now, Tristan, I was surprised you took the job so quickly. Is there something you're saving up for?"

Tristan blushed slightly and told her about the lovely jacket Serenity had bought for him, and the dress he was trying to buy for her. "…So that's what I'm trying to do, Kisara…"

Kisara smiled knowingly. "Tristan, that is so sweet, and you're a wonderful guy. Serenity's going to love that dress all the more because you've worked so hard to get it. Seto's done that. Remember when we had that fight in September?" Seto and Kisara had gotten into a squabble when he had been too bossy, and she had fought back. Seto had found he needed to do a few things that he either hadn't done or hadn't done in a long time in order to prove to her that he would change his ways with her.

"Yeah. He did a lot to prove he would change for you," the hazel-eyed young man observed. Though the teen CEO was still hardnosed in the business world, with his fiancée and his friends, he was a changed though still somewhat guarded young man. "Even talking to your parents was huge. And the next month he proposed after asking your parents' permission, right?"

"Yeah, in that last duel on his birthday. He pulled some strings to have me off work that day…" Her expression was dreamy at the memories, but she came back to Earth quickly. "But anyway, Tristan, you've already proven a lot to Serenity. You have been there for her through a lot of sad and difficult things. You saw her through Battle City, and you took that virtual bullet for her without hesitation. You have valued her safety more than your own, you've respected her feelings and not tried to force yourself into her affections, and you're here working to get something she wants, not because you're trying to impress her, but because you genuinely love her. Tristan," she concluded, "you are a very special guy."

Tristan flushed a bit with all of those compliments. "Thanks, Kisara." They finished their lunch and the young woman had him help her bake some cupcakes and a funny Bundt cake in the shape of a castle. "Wow, these are neat!" he grinned. He'd worked for 6 hours, not including their lunch break by this point.

"Tristan, thanks so much for your help. I'm afraid I'm out of jobs for you," she said with a slightly sad smile. "Now, I did promise I'd pay you… so let's see now…" She went and got her purse, pulling out an envelope. She opened it, counted the bills in it and handed it to him. "Here you are. I hope this is enough…"

His eyes bugged at just how much she had given him. "Kisara… this is too much…"

But she shook her head. "Tristan, you deserve every penny of that. Spend some on that dress, and use the rest for whatever you'd like. Some of it… well, consider it an early Christmas gift, all right?"

The young man couldn't say anything to that and hugged the white-blonde woman. He thanked her profusely and then raced to the store. The same clerk was waiting for him. "You got what you needed in a day?" she asked in surprise.

He nodded happily. "Yeah, a friend called yesterday and asked if I'd be able to do some work for her, so I did. And… so here's the rest, ma'am. Thanks so much for holding the dress."

"My pleasure. Now would you like this wrapped?" she asked.

"Sure! That'd be great!" he answered enthusiastically. The woman wrapped up the dress in tissue and then in a bright red box, tying it with a pure white bow.

IMDREAMING

It was the early evening when Tristan arrived at the home where Serenity lived with her mother. The clouds over the city looked like lead-colored cotton candy and the forecasters predicted snow. The young man parked his motorcycle in a covered carport next to the garage and headed up the walk to the front door. Serenity's mother, Elizabeth answered. "Good evening, Tristan. What are you..? Oh, I see," the woman with curly red hair and dreamy brown eyes smiled as she saw the package. "Is this her early present?"

"Yeah. I was able to make payment today, so I brought it over," he grinned sheepishly.

"It really looks like it's going to storm tonight. If it gets bad, you can stay in Joey's old room," Elizabeth offered.

"Thanks, Elizabeth," he said gratefully as she showed him into the warm house. The living room had a tree up, decorated with red and green glass baubles as well as faux holly berries. Serenity was sitting by the fireplace, tailor fashion, sipping on a mug of her favorite raspberry hot cocoa.

"Serenity, Tristan's here," Elizabeth called as the young woman looked up.

"Oh, hey Tristan…" Whatever else Serenity was about to say in greeting died on her lips as she saw the bright red box. "Did you… Oh my gosh!" She stood up, eyes on him. "You…"

He held it out to her and when she took it, he guided her to the couch. Elizabeth chose to watch in silence. "Something happened and I was able to buy it early… Go ahead and open it," he coaxed.

She pulled the white ribbon off the package and then opened the box. Her eyes, already bright with joy, shone like evening stars. "Oh, Tristan! You…" She stood up and threw her slender arms around him. "Thank you so much! How did you earn the money?" He told her and her smile stretched from ear to ear. "Wow. And she just called you out of the blue like that? That has to be an answered prayer!"

Tristan nodded in agreement. "I guess it's a pre-Christmas answered prayer. You look great in that dress…" And then he looked out the window. "Oh, wow…"

Serenity looked too. Outside the window, huge white flakes the size of pillow feathers were falling from the sky. The snow was beginning to pile up and transfigured the lawn into a miniature fairyland. "It's snowing… it's so beautiful… We might have a white Christmas…"

"Yeah…" The young woman laid her box with the beautiful red dress down and together, the couple headed outside for a moment just to stand in the beautiful falling snow. In a moment of whimsy, Elizabeth turned on the radio, which was playing Irving Berlin's immortal "White Christmas." The two young people heard and began to waltz.

**THE END**

_And so ends Tristan and Serenity's tale. To everyone here, Merry Christmas! Next time… is a surprise! So please read, review and stay tuned!_


	4. The Eternal Light: Yugi and Tea

Yugi and Teá: The Eternal Light

_Hello again, dear readers of _The First Christmas _saga! I am so sorry that it's taken two years to write something for this series. So I apologize for the delay, particularly to my friend, Rainwalker, whose friendship and patience has been extraordinary and heartening when I have needed it. So Rain, thank you so much for being patient. I will see this through to its logical conclusion. _

_ In the previous installments of the series, we have focused on Christmas. But in this chapter, we bring in the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. In my version of the Yugi-verse, Yugi has some Jewish ancestry and proudly celebrates his blended heritage. Rather than take you, dear readers, through the entire celebration, we will merely view the first evening of the Festival of Lights. So please enjoy and to my Jewish readers, since it's March, a very happy belated Hanukkah and Purim._

_**Disclaimer: **__As usual, I don't own the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise, subbed or dubbed. I also do not own the characters of that franchise. What I own is this version of the Yugi-verse, my own ideas and some snacks. I definitely don't own the dub-verse which takes place in the US. I also don't own Kenny G's brilliant instrumental, "The Eternal Light," for which the name for this chapter is taken._

_**Author's notes:**__I gratefully acknowledge various sites on Judaism which gave me the proper English and Hebrew wording for the blessings over the candles on the first night of Hanukkah, as well as the proper term for a Chanukiah/ menorah. I thank Google for reminding me of the date of Hanukkah in 2006 and I thank my father, an Old Testament/ Torah scholar, whose book collection on the practices of Judaism has been invaluable over the years. _

_ A note to those of you who might just be joining my version of the Yugi-verse: Yugi and his grandfather both celebrate Judaism and Buddhism due to their heritage and spiritual journeys. Don't hesitate to ask questions via private messaging if you have them. I would finally like to remind my readers that this story takes place about six months after the first events of __**Whisper. **__Thank you for your understanding and remembering that this is clearly not canon. If it were, I'd be paid for this._

Teá Gardner smiled as she headed down the largest mall in Domino City on December 14th 2006. The Christmas trees shone with the usual golden tinsel and bright red balls. Some people were smiling as they looked around the mall while others were frowning and grumbling about what, Teá didn't know. She hoped that the frowns were only related to not finding that perfect gift for Christmas or Hanukkah. She was on a search for the perfect gift as well, but she smiled because it didn't matter what she spent; it mattered that she was spending the start of holiday break with the young man she loved.

Only six months earlier, Teá had been at a crossroads in her life. She had gotten a letter from Juilliard Academy in New York the day her very best friend (and perhaps a bit more) tried to kill himself. It wasn't until nearly three days later that she'd opened the letter and told him she wouldn't go to the prestigious school. She had also kissed Yugi Muto for the very first time as he lay in the hospital bed on the day he'd awakened. Their friendship had finally flowered into romantic love and since then, she'd been by his side. Teá now attended a famous local dance school that fed into Hollywood and turned out some of the best dance instructors on the West Coast. Today, her school had let out early.

_I hope I can find just the thing for his first gift,_ she thought as she paced through the crowd. Tomorrow night was the first night of Hanukkah and Yugi had invited her to celebrate with him and his grandfather. Teá hadn't celebrated the holiday with Yugi and Solomon Muto since she and Yugi had attended Domino Elementary School, so she remembered only a bit of what they did.

She remembered lighting candles and playing dreidel with Yugi. She remembered eating doughnuts, latkes and other good things. But what Teá remembered the most was sitting down with Solomon, Yugi and her parents and hearing the story of Hanukkah. While it wasn't a traditional part of Hanukkah celebrations, Solomon told the story for his non-Jewish friends. Teá hoped the old man would tell the story even though it was just the three of them.

The pleasant thoughts warmed her as she strode into yet another store. This place seemed more promising. And sure enough, there it was. _Yugi'll love this… It's perfect! Now I just have to find something for Grandpa Muto._ A certain something caught her eye and she picked it up too. She paid for the presents and had them wrapped, and then went on her way.

Had the young dancer been in an observant mood today, she would have noticed a small figure with a very familiar head of spiky hair coming out of her favorite dance shop. _She didn't see me. Time to go!_ The King of Games raced out into the crowd, a thin rectangular box under his arm. This was one of the times he didn't curse his small stature as it assured Teá's gift would remain a surprise.

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

Two hours later, Yugi sat in his room, reading some of his mail. Ever since he'd come home from the hospital in July, it seemed like he had gotten mounds of fan mail every day. His room looked much like it had in high school, but with a few changes here and there. A few new textbooks for his college courses sat on his desk, as did two new pictures. One was of him and Teá at the amusement park on their first official date. They were sitting on a park bench near one of the roller coasters and he was holding her hand. It was two days after he'd exited the hospital and the press had kept its distance. Yugi's frame had acquired a new leanness and his head now was above his girlfriend's shoulder. A bystander had gladly taken the photo and told them both what a happy couple they seemed and wished them the best.

Yugi's gaze turned to the second picture which was of his family. The photo had been taken not long after Mai, his half-sister, had married Joey. The Muto-Wheeler family had a formal portrait taken to celebrate the new bond between them. And so Solomon had sat down with his four grandchildren flanking him. Yugi stood on his grandfather's right side along with his sister-in-law, Serenity, while his sister, Mai, stood on Solomon's left with her husband. Elizabeth Wheeler, Joey and Serenity's mother, stood behind Solomon. All six were laughing, but no one could have told what exactly they were laughing at. All Yugi knew was that the picture made him smile every time he looked at it.

He looked up through his skylight to the somewhat leaden sky. This year, the weather had been colder than normal, so there might be a chance of actually seeing snow soon. But something told him there wouldn't be snow before tomorrow night. _Oh, well, it'll still be special. Teá's mom and dad are at an office party and Mai, Joey, Serenity and Liz have something at Kaiba Corp too. It'll just be the three of us. _

He thought a moment, realizing the implications of that. _It'll be like we're alone together! Did I get the right gift? I mean… it's only the first of two, but still..! _He could have really panicked at this point, but he imagined he could hear Atem chuckling. _Right, _Yugi thought, _she'll love whatever I've gotten her and it is something I know she wants. I should definitely relax…_ With that happy thought, he relaxed and picked up a new book to read. This was going to be a very good first night of Hanukkah.

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

The next evening, an hour before sundown, Teá stood at the door of Muto Games, two packages wrapped in blue paper in her arms. She pressed the doorbell and Yugi came to the door. "Hey, Teá! You made it just in time!" he said happily.

The young woman stepped into the house and her boyfriend took her coat. A warm and wonderful smell filled the air. It was of fresh applesauce infused with cinnamon, plus something that smelled rather like French fries. "Grandpa made latkes?" she asked, setting the presents she'd brought under the tabletop Christmas tree, decorated with Duel Monsters ornaments.

"Grandpa made latkes… and I made the applesauce!" Yugi was wearing a white apron that proclaimed he was "King of Cooking." It was lightly splattered with mashed apples and dusted with cinnamon. In addition to his height, his voice had finally deepened to Atem's timbre, but the sweet expression in his eyes had not been lost. "We got sour cream too, if you want it."

"Thanks, Yugi," Teá answered. "What are you having with yours?"

The King of Games' smile matched his shy blush. "Applesauce."

"I should've known," she laughed. And then another delightful smell reached her nose. It was the smell of homemade barbecue sauce or a similar mix. "Did you make...?"

"Yeah, Grandma Sophie's brisket recipe," Yugi confirmed, his mouth watering a little. "It's almost as good as a Kobe beef hamburger…"

Teá laughed and sighed in the same breath. "You've never been the same about burgers since the party after you got out of the hospital. Seto totally spoiled you!"

"Well… maybe a little," he admitted, the pinkness returning to his cheeks after a brief absence. "It's just such a good burger. But I think I like Grandma Sophie's brisket a bit better…"

"Yeah, so do I," she said as they sat down in the living room. Solomon had set out tea for the young couple and so they sipped. "How long has it been since we've been together on the first night of Hanukkah?"

Yugi's face screwed up in concentration. Finally, he relaxed. "I don't think we've done this since we were in third grade. And we've never done it where it was just you, me and Grandpa…"

Teá gazed into her beloved's eyes, smiling. And then the glint of the silvery menorah caught her attention. "How long has that been in your family, Yugi?" she asked.

Yugi, caught unawares by her breaking her gaze, blinked. "Huh? Oh! The Chanukiah? That was Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Goldsmith's. Grandpa said that they got it from their parents when they got married. When Grandpa married Grandma Sophie, Grandma's parents passed it on to her and Grandpa. And when…" Here, Yugi turned brick red but got control rather quickly. "When we get married, Grandpa will pass it on to us."

Teá didn't say anything for a long moment. "Yeah… that's something to look forward to," she managed finally. They had talked about marriage in recent weeks, but Yugi had yet to formally ask her. But every time he brought it up, it still took a moment for her to get her mental bearings. "So that… it's called a Chanukiah?" At his nod, she continued, "So the Chanukiah was in your mom's family for a long time?"

"Yeah, like that copper teapot Grandpa uses. That comes from his side of the family. Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Muto got it just before they left Japan for America. We only use it for special occasions… like tonight." He indicated said teapot, steaming gently out of the spout. "I really like this tea…"

"Me too," she said, taking a sip of hers. They sat in silence for a moment, just sipping and enjoying each other's company.

"All right, you two," Solomon said, coming into the room a few minutes later. "The food is ready when you are, but it's time for us to open presents and light the Chanukiah."

Yugi swallowed and hoped that his beloved couldn't hear it. _What if she hates it?_ Again, he heard Atem's soft, knowing chuckle. _I know, I know… She'll love whatever I've gotten her! But… man, Atem, it's hard. I can't switch with you anymore…_

And then he felt pleasantly warm as he went to get Teá's package and his grandpa's from under the tree. "Here, Teá. Happy Hanukkah," he said, placing the rectangular package, wrapped with shocking pink paper and a pale pink ribbon in her hands.

Teá set the package down and moved to retrieve her packages. She handed Yugi a rectangular package wrapped in blue paper and silver ribbon and Solomon a small, somewhat heavy rectangular package. "To both of you," she answered, cheeks flushing a little. "So… should we do what my family does on Christmas when we open presents?"

Yugi and Solomon exchanged glances. "Huh?"

The young dancer grinned. "In my family, we have the oldest member of the family open a package first. Is that something we could do?" _It might help Yugi not be so nervous,_ she thought. She'd caught the earlier swallow and knew what it meant.

Solomon gazed at his grandson. "Is that all right with you?"

"Go ahead, Grandpa. Open your gifts!" Yugi answered eagerly, nearly as relieved as Teá hoped.

The old man took his grandson's gift first. Yugi had taken the time to wrap Solomon's gift, not in paper, but in a very lovely blue-patterned furoshiki square. Solomon undid the knot and smiled as the fabric fell away. The polished brown beads nestled within the fabric glinted up at him. "Are these Buddhist prayer beads, Yugi?" he asked, holding them up.

"Yeah. I looked all over, trying to find ones that looked like the ones you had when you were at Minidoka…"

Solomon nodded, examining the beads. The old wooden beads looked exactly like the ones his father had held. While Solomon hadn't used Buddhist prayer beads in many years, he had still yearned for his father's set as a keepsake. And here was another pair, not exactly like his father's, but special all the same. "Yugi… how long did it take you to find this?"

"Not too long," the young man answered with a grin. "I think you have Teá's to open, Grandpa!"

The young woman couldn't help but blush at the eagerness her boyfriend displayed. And, she reflected, this was the first time she was giving Solomon a gift as the girl engaged to be engaged to his grandson. It made her just a tad nervous. The sound of ripping paper went through the room, then the soft swish of a box being opened and then the crinkle of tissue… "Teá, this is extraordinary," he murmured, holding up a delicately painted old teapot. "Where did you find this?"

"I found a replica of an older design in a shop, and thought you might like this, Grandpa Muto," she answered. The pot was painted with bright yellow chrysanthemums.

Solomon nodded, smiling more brightly. "You realize the symbolism, don't you?" When she nodded, he grinned. "I hope to live to at least see my great-grandchildren. It would be nice to see my great-great-grandchildren, though. Thank you, both of you." His grandson and future granddaughter-in-law came forward for hugs. "And now, you two should open yours."

Yugi took a deep breath as his beloved fumbled with the ribbon on her package. It fluttered to the floor and a moment later, so did the paper. Teá smiled, removing the object from the box. "Oh, Yugi… where did you find this?" "This" was a picture of the two of them at Teá's very first dance recital when they were in kindergarten. Little Teá was clad in a pink leotard, tights, slippers and a rather puffy tutu. Five-year-old Yugi was struggling under a rather large bouquet of pink roses and handing them to the little dancer. The picture was in a silver frame with slippers at one corner.

"I found it in one of my drawers and had a copy made," he answered softly. He wasn't sure what to say next and opened the package she'd given him. "I guess we had the same idea…" He held up another silver picture frame, this one emblazoned with the symbol of eternity at the top of the frame. The picture was of him and Teá at the front of the game shop before the senior prom. She was in a shocking pink strapless gown with a skirt that went to her knees and silver ballet flats, while he was in a standard tuxedo with a pink rose boutonniere. "Why this one?" he asked with a soft smile.

The young woman scooted over to her love. "I chose this one because it was one of the happiest nights I've ever had with you. It was just us that night and you took me to the Ritz-Domino…"

They had gone to the prom and rather than go to the all-night party, had gone to the Ritz-Domino rooftop restaurant for dessert and dancing. The two of them had gone to the prom as friends, but that hadn't stopped Yugi from planning a beautiful evening. Teá had suspected he had gone to Seto for help in procuring the limo and the well-muscled security guards. She remembered how he had gently pressed against her as they slowly twirled around the dance floor of the fancy hotel. While they hadn't admitted anything about how they felt, she thought what he'd done was close to an admission.

Yugi kept his smile. "That was one of the best nights of my life too…" Their faces were within inches of each other, but with Solomon there, somehow stealing a kiss wasn't appropriate. So Yugi quickly changed the subject. "So is it time for lighting the candles, Grandpa?"

Solomon nodded. "Teá, I wrote down the blessings so you can help us tonight. We'll be saying them in Hebrew, but you could say them in English if you'd like."

"Thanks, Grandpa Muto."

Solomon got slowly up from his seat and moved to the Chanukiah. He paused for a moment, smiling. "I'll light the candles, but I want you to read the last blessing with Teá out loud after I've said them in Hebrew, all right?"

Yugi nodded, with an odd glance at his girlfriend. She shrugged. "It's okay," she whispered.

And so, Solomon placed a candle in the center of the Chanukiah. He took a match and lit the center candle, its light warming the room. He placed another smaller candle in the rightmost holder. He murmured the first blessing and Teá read, "Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah." Solomon spoke again in the ancient tongue… "Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who made miracles for our forefathers in those days at this time."

And then the young couple met each other's eyes as Solomon spoke the final blessing. For a second, both their throats were tight as the old man lit the rightmost candle, tears coming down his own face. And then they spoke the blessing, Teá's hand on her beloved's. "Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this season." The young couple's hands remained joined, resting upon the back of a chair. Whatever happened next, in this place and time, they were alive to celebrate another year… together.

_And so ends the holiday tale of Yugi and Teá. I am very sorry that it's after Purim instead of after Christmas and Hanukkah when this was published, but I'll admit that this was somewhat tricky to write. I do hope you enjoyed this, and especially you, Rainwalker. Next time, we join another couple that hasn't even become such yet. I'll leave you to guess who it is! See you soon!_


	5. Mokuba and Rebecca: Hot Chocolate

Mokuba and Rebecca: Hot Chocolate

_ Hello again, readers of _The First Christmas. _I started this chapter in June of 2012, but didn't get it finished until now. For some reason, the movie __**Polar Express**__ has been on my mind in reference to… I wouldn't call them a full-fledged couple quite yet. But the pairing celebrated here is one that's just adorable at this stage. Mokuba and Rebecca are way too young yet, so full-blown Kiddyshipping isn't going to happen here. So please remember that and enjoy the fluff._

_**The usual boring disclaimer: **__I do not own the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise and short of winning a big lottery prize, I couldn't own even a small portion of it. So here I am, writing fan fiction for it. I also don't own the song, "Hot Chocolate," which is from the brilliant movie, _**Polar Express.**_ Thanks for your attention._

_**Author's note:**__ "Boards" are the proper way to refer to the short wall that surrounds an ice rink. I thank the various Internet sites that helped me find this information. I also would like to thank Wikipedia for its list of books published in 2006 as well as their synopses of nearly every book on said list._

It was the week before Christmas and twelve-year-old Mokuba Kaiba was leaning on the boards of the Domino Holiday Ice Rink. It was a beautiful, crisp day, perfect for going out on the ice. He was alone… well, Roland was on guard, but other than that, Mokuba was without his family and friends. The twelve-year-old boy had gotten his rental skates, but hadn't put them on yet.

"Mokuba? Don't you want to get out there?" Roland asked his charge. Mokuba could tell his security guard was doing the parental "I-know-something-is-bothering-you-so-I'll-try-to-get-it-out-of-you" routine. "It's a lovely day," the man continued. "I could go out with you."

Mokuba sighed, deciding in favor of easing his guard and friend's mind. "I want to get out there, but it's kind of lonely without someone else, Roland. Um… someone else my age, that is. No offense."

Roland chuckled, as the boy had a feeling he would. "I guess I'm not the same as say… Rebecca?"

Mokuba felt his face warm. "Roland," he muttered, "we're just friends right now. And we're both twelve!"

Roland repressed a chuckle this time. "I know you are, Mokuba. Just couldn't resist. Are you going to get out there?" The boy nodded, sat down at a bench and pulled on his skates.

A moment later, Mokuba glided onto the ice. That is, he glided for about five seconds before wobbling and windmilling his arms before crashing face first onto the ice. He groaned softly, first at the stinging impact and then at the giggles he heard. Sure enough, when he looked up, three girls he had a crush on from Domino High School's new junior class were pointing and laughing. He could feel his face heating against the ice.

"Mokuba!" A shout, the sound of skates on ice and then a thud right next to him. He looked to his right and there was a mop of straight blonde hair next to him. "Sorry," Rebecca Hawkins said as she lifted her head. "I wanted to come out to you, but I guess I didn't get out here the way I wanted to."

Miraculously, Mokuba managed to get back up again and offered his gloved hand to his friend. She took it and unsteadily got to her feet. "Guess we both suck at this, huh?" the boy observed with an embarrassed smile.

Rebecca nodded. "I don't get to do this much at all."

The boy glanced around, expecting to see Roland engaged in conversation with Rebecca's grandfather, Arthur Hawkins, but the kindly old man was nowhere to be seen. "Where's your grandpa?"

"At the museum," she answered. "He's been working on the Egyptian Duel Monsters display with Ishizu. I'm still surprised the Egyptian government let her take it out of the country."

"I think she got it all moved under the Movable Property clause in Egyptian antiquities laws." What Mokuba didn't mention was that Ishizu had come to his brother and asked… no, begged for his assistance in order to get the artifacts moved permanently to Domino. Seto's involvement was known to no one but a select few in the US and Egyptian governments. Arthur had apparently chosen not to tell his granddaughter of his own involvement and Mokuba wisely decided not to divulge that information.

"Should we try skating together?" she suggested with a shy smile. He liked that idea very much. Unfortunately, the best of suggestions often hit the hard walls of reality. What can best be said of the repeated attempts to stay upright while holding each other's hands was that nothing was injured but their pride. "Maybe we need lessons," Rebecca decided as they wobbled (with Roland's assistance) off the ice and to the benches.

"You know what we need right now?" Mokuba said as he yanked off the skates rather violently. Rebecca raised an eyebrow at his tone. "Hot chocolate," he concluded, smiling as the offending footwear clattered on the ground. "It's cold out here, we need skating lessons…"

"And I have time to kill," she answered with a grin. "Let's go get some hot chocolate, Mokuba. Do you know a place?" He did.

YGO YGO YGO

Half an hour later, Mokuba and Rebecca watched the tap-dancing servers at Domino's Dreamery Creamery shop serve hot chocolate to a party of excited seven-year-olds as they sang the song from **The Polar Express**. "Did you ever get excited over stuff like that, Mokuba?" Rebecca asked as she sipped from her gigantic mug.

The boy deliberated for a long moment. "Well, the Christmas after Gozaburo was gone, Seto took me to a ballet. He said we sort of had to go, since it benefitted a charity, but that it was something Mom would've wanted us to see."

"_The Nutcracker_?"

"Yeah, that one. Seto told me Mom and Dad took him to a Domino production of _The Nutcracker_, and…." Mokuba looked around very carefully to be certain no reporters or anyone that might blackmail his brother was nearby in some form, running his hand under the table for good measure. "Okay, Rebecca, he told me I couldn't tell, but since you and I are friends…."

"We are," she confirmed with a soft grin.

Mokuba grinned back, taking a sip of his chocolate. "Okay," he whispered. "Seto loved it and thought I might. He was right about that."

The blonde girl nodded, her expression calm. "That doesn't surprise me, Mokuba. I've heard him listen to Tchaikovsky in his office. Remember that day while Yugi was still in the hospital and he asked me to work on that program?" Mokuba nodded. "Well, he asked if playing music would bother me. I told him not to play anything by James Blunt or hardcore rap music. He laughed and said he'd turn on a classical radio station that was broadcasting online. And they played _The Sleeping Beauty._ Mokuba, I'd never seen him just… relax like that."

Mokuba blinked. "He… actually relaxed? You're kidding, right?" She solemnly shook her head. The astonished boy could only say, "Wow."

"You weren't the only one surprised. When I asked him about it, he said it reminded him of someone. I didn't ask who, but the way he said it kind of made me thing it was someone who wasn't here anymore." Her face softened. "Now I know who it was. Do you think he'd mind if I got him a Tchaikovsky CD for Christmas?"

Mokuba shook his head. "I don't think so. He's got a good sound system in his office. That's a good idea, Rebecca." He took another sip of his hot chocolate as the dancing waiters served another table. "What'd you get for your grandpa?"

Rebecca took a sip of her chocolate before answering. "I got him a book called _**The Architecture of Happiness.**_I think it was a good choice because it's about how we build beautiful things in the world. I thought about getting him _**Endgame**_, but I thought the subject matter wasn't right since… well… Dartz."

"Good point. Um… Rebecca?" Mokuba asked, fighting back a nervous swallow. This had definitely _**not**_ gotten easier, even after he'd asked her to Domino High's homecoming celebration as friends. "What are your plans for Christmas Day?"

"Well, Grandpa and I were going to hang out after we opened presents like we always do. Why?"

"I was wondering if you'd both like to come to a party we're having at my house. The whole gang is coming after they've had family stuff and Kisara's with us too!"

The blonde girl smiled. "I'm sure Grandpa will say yes, Mokuba. So I will."

The boy grinned back and then looked down at their hot chocolate mugs. "You want some more?"

"No, I'm okay. You want to go for a walk?"

"Sure." Mokuba paid the bill and helped his companion out of her chair. They trotted under an archway and Rebecca froze. "Something wrong, Rebecca?" She solemnly pointed upward. His eyes followed and he saw a bunch of… _**Oh, boy….**_

She blushed. "You don't have to, you know."

He smiled however, and pecked her on the cheek. "That okay?"

"Yeah." Hand in hand, they walked out of the sweet shop, Roland quietly following.

_And that concludes the Kiddyshipping tale in this series. Again, this is pretty darned innocent, but they are very young and in a very early stage of things. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, albeit a bit late. Thank you for reading and please read and review._


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